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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171098">Wastelander</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/vBlueButterflyv/pseuds/vBlueButterflyv'>vBlueButterflyv</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fallout (Video Games), Outlander</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Fallout (Video Games) Setting, F/M, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:07:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,381</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23171098</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/vBlueButterflyv/pseuds/vBlueButterflyv</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
      <p>Heavily inspired from the Outlander series, the beginning is also heavily copied from the start of the first Outlander book. I love Outlander and highly respect Diana, I'm in no way saying I wrote this whole chapter on my own with all my own words, I took a lot of it from the first chapter in the first Outlander book. I did write some of it in my own words and will continue to do so later but if I do use Diana's words, I will note that I have out of respect for her and her work.</p>
    </div></td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Wastelander</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Heavily inspired from the Outlander series, the beginning is also heavily copied from the start of the first Outlander book. I love Outlander and highly respect Diana, I'm in no way saying I wrote this whole chapter on my own with all my own words, I took a lot of it from the first chapter in the first Outlander book. I did write some of it in my own words and will continue to do so later but if I do use Diana's words, I will note that I have out of respect for her and her work.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wastelander<br/>
~<br/>
Chapter One<br/>
~<br/>
Starting New</p><p>Part 1<br/>
Sanctuary Hills, 2077</p><p>Sanctuary Hills wasn't the most likely place for a Vault-Tec nuclear bomb shelter, at first glance. Mrs Barns was just like the rest of the housewives in Sanctuary, floral dress to match the clean floral curtains in her kitchen, hair pinned up to perfection. Her home also best described her domestication, having spotless kitchen tiles and benches rubbed down to a shining gleam. The smell of lemon pledge was almost overwhelming.<br/>
Mrs Barnes herself was settled and easy-going, making no objections to Shaun currently lining her small driveway with the dozen or so moving boxes we both had.<br/>
I met Mrs Barnes out by her rose garden, happily preening away, having noticed her new neighbours she gracefully invited me inside while the men - being Mr Barnes and Shaun -  unpacked the moving van.</p><p>“Dear me, child. You can’t go out like that! Here, let me fix that for you, that’s better. You know my sister was telling me about a new perm she tried; maybe try that next time.”<br/>
I didn't have the heart to tell her that the frizziness of my light brown curls were strictly due to genetics, and not due to me having no hair styling talent. Her own bob of waves suffered no such indignity.</p><p>“Yes, I’ll do that Mrs Barnes,” I lied. “I’m just going to go check on Shaun. We’ll be back for dinner.” I slipped out of the door and quickly up her driveway before she could detect any further non-housewife defects with my overall appearance. After five years living as a combat nurse in a busy built-up area of Washington D.C, I was enjoying the escape the country gave, still wearing the brightly printed blouses and long skirts from work, by far what's suitable for long rough walks in the countryside.<br/>
I was planning none of that though; my plans ran more along the line of spending time sleeping late in the morning, and long, afternoons in bed with Shaun, not sleeping. However, it was hard to maintain any sort of romance with the likes of Mrs Barnes hovering around our front yard, continuously offering muffins and pretending to garden while spying on her new neighbours.</p><p>“That must be the driest rosebed in all of Boston,” Shaun noticed Mrs Barnes watering her roses for an obtuse amount of time.<br/>
“Thirsty for attention, maybe?” I agreed. “Maybe we should go inside.”<br/>
We had moved to Sanctuary Hills after spending a great deal of our life savings on a spot within the area's Vault. War with the Chinese, nowadays felt dangerously imminent, Nuclear War. We thought it best to move to a quiet area where it felt somewhat normal still but something about Sanctuary felt far from normal. Hopefully, the building pressure with China would resolve itself and everything would go back to normal.<br/>
“What’s wrong?” I asked as Shaun came short of our doorway.</p><p>“Let’s give her something to look at,” he answered. Wrapping his arm around my waist and dipping me back while kissing me. After a minute of this theatrical act I started to giggle, eyeing Mrs Barnes quickly retreating back to her house.<br/>
Shaun raised his eyebrows at me, smiling like a happy cat. “That’ll give her something to talk about.” I huffed slightly.</p><p>“How are we ever supposed to conceive with ‘witnesses’.” He eyed me narrowly.</p><p>“If I end up a childless stump on my family tree, it’ll definitely be the workings of that woman.” We had been disappointed yet again a week earlier, we had been trying to conceive for a while now, hoping the fresh country air would improve matters and now seemed like the neighbours were also not in favour.<br/>
“Oh! What’s the time? Hope I’m not late, I still have to change.” Shaun, newly retired from the military had found a humble job nearby at a newly built Red Rocket.</p><p>“I’ll meet you there, I need to buy a few things for dinner later.” Quickly placing a light kiss on my forehead he disappeared inside while I decided to slowly stroll off in the direction of the nearby shop.<br/>
The area was beautiful, surrounded by a crystal clear flowing river, the entrance had a large arch-shaped wooden bridge. I stood there for a while, admiring the flickering of river trout and nearby children playing in some reeds.<br/>
Memories of my father played before my eyes, a bright day much like this one, he was teaching me to hook a worm for fishing. We caught nothing that day but I still enjoyed his company, I didn’t get much time with him. A small sad pang moved me along, shortly reaching the large red structure of Red Rocket. The name truly described the building, you could see it from quite some distance, a large red rocket stood adorned on the roof.<br/>
I entered the small shop, smiling vaguely at the person behind the counter and stood staring at a small blue vase. I don’t know how long I was standing there but it was long enough for Shaun to have reached the shop and sneak up on me.</p><p>“A vase huh? Good. You can stop stuffing flowers in my books!” I jumped slightly startled.</p><p>“They aren't flowers, they are specimens. It was your idea to take up botany.” Shaun had given me the idea to study the medicinal value in plants to better spend my time, before I spent most of my time just moping around not feeling very useful.</p><p>"True." He said humorously. "But I didn't know it meant bits of weeds and evergreens falling on my lap every time I opened a book to read before bed! What was that awful brown thing I found this morning?"</p><p>"Comfrey. Great for haemorrhoids."</p><p>"Planning for my old age already? How very thoughtful, Julie." I let out a small laugh as he drew me near.<br/>
"You better get to work." Planting a soft kiss to my lips then letting me go.</p><p>"I'll see you tonight."</p><p>~</p><p>I had spent the rest of the day slowly unpacking boxes and generally just pacing the house, settling down finally to a small bottle of wine and snuggling into the sofa while I watched some random movies.<br/>
Dinner time was rolling by, yawning I got up to stretch ready to begin my wifely duty of cooking my husband dinner when the lights suddenly decide to go out. </p><p>"Oh well. Candlelit dinner it is, then." Slapping my hands against my thighs in annoyance, I go awkwardly searching the darkened cupboards for candles and matches.<br/>
Living room and kitchen satisfyingly lit by candles I then start the monotonous task of boiling water, cutting vegetables and so forth. Glancing at a large clock hung in our kitchen, I begin to worry, noticing my husband was becoming quite late.<br/>
Hearing keys start to jingle in the front door eased my anxiety, only for it to promptly jolt back at the look on Shaun's face.</p><p>"My god. Shaun, you look like you've seen a ghost."</p><p>"Yes." He nodded stiffly, adorned with a blank stare he wobbled over to the liquor cabinet.<br/>
"I just heard," Pouring a small glass of Scotch he briskly slammed it down, paused half choking on the fire that engulfed his stomach and promptly poured another. "The Chinese. Sounds like they will attack any day now."</p><p>I covered my mouth shocked, panic quickly trickling in like a dam about to burst.<br/>
I quickly rushed to our bedroom, Shaun close behind me and start pulling clothes from my draws.<br/>
Shaun realizing the emotional state he had just put me in suddenly grabs me by the shoulders, freezing me in my tracks. </p><p>"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Hugging me tight. "Don't worry, sweetie. If anything does happen, remember, I've guaranteed our spot. We'll be safe." Nodding, I took a large breath trying to calm myself.</p><p>"Ok. I think I'll go to bed early tonight. I don't feel so well."<br/>
That night even as Shaun slowly drifted off to sleep, the only comforting thought I had to lull me off yo sleep was the terrifying images of nuclear missiles. Whistling overhead and igniting the world around me. To say the least, I did not get much sleep that night.</p>
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